Investments in 'Sukanya Samriddhi Account', the special deposit scheme for the girl child, will earn a higher interest rate of 9.2 per cent, while the rate on popular tax saving Public Provident Fund or PPF has been retained at 8.7 per cent for financial year 2015-16.

Terming the government's vision to provide housing for all by 2022 as "unrealistic", property consultant JLL India has said making available 2 crore urban houses and 4 crore rural houses is a "huge undertaking in itself" and without a clear roadmap in place, the target is "likely to remain unachievable".

Bullion market remained closed in the national capital on Wednesday as traders refrained from doing business to protest the budgetary proposal that would make it mandatory to quote PAN for purchases of above Rs 1 lakh.

Days ahead of the Reserve Bank of India's annual monetary policy, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said India needs lower interest rates for high growth and certainly there will be more rate cuts in future triggering reduction in cost of borrowings.

The government is ready to launch the next round of coal block auctions from April even as it is facing litigation by Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL), which saw its bids being cancelled in the last round of auctions.